Door bottom closing and sealing device



Dec. 3o, 1947. w, A; BECK 2,433,331

DOOR BOTTOMCLOSING AND SEALING DEVICE Filed May 25, 1945 M 6 nnllllllllllllll D n 3 7, /f 40m/fa.

Patented Dec. 30, -1947 OFFICE DOOR BOT-TOM CLOSING AND SEALING DEVICE Wilhelm A. Beck, Merian, Pa. Application May Z5, 1943, Serial No. 488,409`

(Cl. 20H68.)

6 Claims. 1

Thisinvention relates to a novel device for close. ing the space beneath a door, the said device being of the4 type employing a closure member which is movedV automatically to its operative and inoperative positions in response to closing and opening of the` door with which .the device is. associated. The present application is a cone tinuation in part Yof a .copending application Se-` rial No. 471,160, led January 2, 1943 and subsee quently abandoned.

The principal `object of this .invention is to provide an extremely simple device which is in.- expensive to manufacture` and easy to install, and which is highly efcient in the performance of its intended; function.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the above-:mentioned character em ploying a minimum number of parts, which does not require a high .degree of .accuracy in manufacture .and yet .is highly eicient in effecting a Vtight seal to prevent passage of air beneath a door when the latter is closed.

A further object 4`of the invention is to providea device of this character which, by virtue vof its construction, operates in a manner to climi nate Vany possibility of a carpet .or rug near the door interieringwith the operation.'

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawing.:

Fig. 1 isa perspective view of the lower portion of a door and associated door frame with `the device of the invention mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a rear face view of the device before mounting on the door looking in the direction of arrows 2-2 0f Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar viewof the `device mounted n the door, taken in the direction of the said arrows in Fig. 1 and showing the initial action which takes place during closing of the door;

Fig. 4 is a similar View showing the device in its fully operated position with the door fully closed;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional View of the device in its inoperative condition;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 4 and showing the sealing action of the device;

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of a clip employed to suspend the `closure member.; `and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a Vsupporting and guide V.member verriployed in the device.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, :in Fig. 1 there is shown the lower portion I of a door which is hinged at oneside, as shown at 2..

i2, and .having an associated doorfframe a, `Dure ing closing movement, the door moves in the direction of the` arrowyA, and,` in the gure, it is shown just prior. to reaching itsfully. closed position. The purposeofthis showing will ap.`

pear presently.

According to the present invention, there is provided a member 5, preferably formed ofiwood, having provision `for xedattachment to the door, for` example, by `means .of attachment screws .6. The member `5 is shapedin cross-section as shown in Fig. 5, and lforms with the lower portion of the door` an inverted channel 'I of predetermined width having parallel `vertical Walls 8 land 9. A resilient exible rodl (Figs. 2 toe) of Dredeter.- mined `fixed length, preferably `formed of metal,v

is disposed in thechannel 1 and has one end affixed to .member 5 and door I, as shown at lI, and `has its other `end slidably supported by an element I2 and project-ing beyond member 5 at the hinged edgeofthe door for engagement with thehead of `a screw I3 carried by the door fragrnet Preferably, the xed end of the -rod IU is bent about the shank of an anchoring screw in the manner illustrated.

Also disposed in channel I is a flat closure st-rip I4, preferably `formed of wood, which is suspended from rod I0 by yIneens of an element I5. The

strip rIII is oferectangular cross-section, as shown in Fig. 5, and is substantially smaller in thiol;- ness than the width of the channel 1 so that the strip is loosely disposed in the channel. rPhe strip is rigidly attached to the rod II) 'by means of element I5 ata single poi-nt offsetjfrom the center of the Arod toward the unhingededge of the door, as clearly shown in Figs. 2`to V4. Except `for its suspension from rod I0 at the 'sin-r gle lpoint mentionedythe strip I4 is entirely free, there being no guide or restraining members associated-with the stri-p, such as are found in many devices of this `general type. 1n its ,normal position, as `shown in Fig. 2, the strip vIll is slightly oiset longitudinally with respect to `the fixed member 5, the reason for which will a.'ppmeaiY ple metal clip having turned-out pointed projections I6 which are adapted to bite into the opposite sides of strip I4. When in place, this clip snugly embraces the rod I and provides a fixed point of attachment between the rod and the strip I4.

Element I2 is shaped as shown in Fig. 8 and has turned-out pointed projections I'I which bite into member 5 to secure the said element in xed position on said member. It will be seen that element I2 has an inclined surface I8 which is disposed in the channel I in cooperative relation with the free end of rod I0. This end of the rod is slidably retained between the upper wall I9 of the channel 1 and the upper edge of the inclined surface I8 on element I2, which upper edge constitutes a line contact support or bearing for said end of said rod,

By reason of the construction of the device, as hereinbefore described, the closure strip I4 has complete freedom of movement and the device operates in a novel manner to insure complete freedom from interference with any nearby rug or other object and also to effect a simple airtight seal. Considering the operation of the device, when the door is open, the projecting end of rod IB is free of engagement with the screw I3, and closure strip I4 is in its fully raised inoperative position, as shown in Fig. 2. When the door is closed, certain movements of the strip I4 take place in prearranged sequence. When the free end of rod II! first engages the head of screw I3, the strip I4 moves to the position shown in Figs. l and 3, particularly the latter. It will be noted that the strip has been moved longitudinaly and that the end of the strip adjacent to the hinged edge of the door has been lowered into engagement with the floor, represented at 20, while the opposite end of the strip is still in raised position. This action is due to the position of the point of suspension of the strip on the rod. During this initial movement of the strip, the fixed bent end of the rod IU serves as a fulcrum, andthe movement of the strip I4 is substantially that of a simple lever.

As the door is moved to its fully closed position, the further flexing of the rod I0 causes the strip I4 to move t0 its fully operative position, as shown in Fig. 4. However, during this latter movement, the strip I4 is tilted or rotated about its longitudinal axis into the position shown in Fig. 6, by reason of the initial engagement of the strip with the floor 20 and the loose disposition of the strip within channel 'I. In its tilted position, the strip effects a sealing engagement with the walls of channel I, thus preventing the ow of any air around the strip I4. It will also be noted that the strip effects an edge contact with the floor 20 to provide a tight seal therewith. Thus, the loose and free disposition of the strip I4 in the relatively large channel 1, together with the initial lowering of the strip into engagement with the floor, accomplishes the novel sealing action just described.

When the door is opened, the reverse sequence of actions takes place. The end of strip I4 near- ,est the unhinged edge of the door first rises from the floor to the position shown in Fig. 3, and then the rest of the strip rises to the fully inoperative position of Fig. 2.

The movements of the strip during both closing and opening of the door prevent any interference with the operation by a carpet or rug which may extend close to the position of the closed door. Since the .end of strip I4 adjacent Ament with said surface.

the unhinged edge of the door is not lowered, during closing of the door, until the door has practically reached its fully closed position, and since the said end of the strip is immediately raised upon initial opening movement of the door, there can be no interference with any carpet or rug in the immediate vicinity of the door. Moreover, since the rod IIJ is normally under some initial tension, the device is quick-acting and this further insures against any interference with a closeby rug or carpet.

From the foregoing discussion, the reason for the normal, longitudinal, offset position of strip I4 with respect to member 5, as shown in Fig. 2, will now be apparent. Owing to the manner in which the strip is moved, there is a tendency for it to move slightly in a longitudinal direction. By having the strip normally offset slightly in a longitudinal direction, it is caused to align itself with member 5 and the lower portion of the door when moved to operative position, as shown in Fig. 4.

The use of a rod Il) of xed length in conjunction with the simple screw I3 simplifies the structure and, at the same time, affords a substantial range of adjustment. By reason of the construction of the device, a very slight movement of screw I3 inward or outward effects a substantial adjustment in the position of the closure strip I4 when it is in operative position. In this manner, the device may be adjusted to effect proper closure of the space beneath a particular door. Moreover, there is no possibility of the device getting out of adjustment.

The structure of the supporting and retaining element I2 is also an important feature of the device. During initial closing of the door, as shown in Fig. 3, the free end portion of rod lIl engages the uppermost, inner edge of the inclined surface I8 on element l2 which acts as a line contact support or bearing for the free end portion of rod I0 and also acts somewhat as a fulcrum. Upon further door-closing operation, the end of the rod in engagement with the 4head of screw I3 rises slighty and the end portion of the rod is elevated above portion I8 of element I2. The downwardly inclined surface I8 permits downward flexing of the rod I0 without engage- Thus, the structure of element I2 permits a maximum degree of freedom of movement of the free end of the rod I0 and prevents wear due to friction, friction being reduced to a minimum by virtue of the line contact between the uppermost inner edge of the inclined surface I8 and the free end of the rod I0.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the invention provides a device which embodies a minimum number of simple parts which may be readily manufactured and assembled and which are so constructed and arranged as to produce the desired actions above described. The device does not require a high degree of precision in the making of its parts; in fact, the loose disposition of the closure strip I4 within the channel 'I eliminates any need of accuracy of formation of the members 5 and I4. Moreover, the rod Ill is simply cut to a desired length and assembled with the other elements. The construction of elements I2 and I5 merely involves simple cutting and stamping of sheet metal blanks.

The device is entirely devoid of any guides or restraining elements which would tend to complicate the structure and would also tend to interfere with the free movement of the closure strip. Moreover, there is substantially no wear due to friction between the parts. A device constructed in accordance with the inventionhasbeen subjected to a life test, and thus far it has operated over 365,000 times without any perceptible wear of its parts. It is to be noted further that warping of a door will not interfere with the operation of the device, since the loose disposition of the closure strip in its channel insures against any binding tendency. With the parts and lll formed of Wood ,or other easily cut material, the -device may be readily cut to fit a particular sized door. As illustrated, the device is of a width to t a standard sized door. However, byl extending the parts 5` and lll substantially beyond the anchorage point Il of the fixed end of the rod it), the device may be readily adapted for larger sized doors. The user may then cut oli' any excess so as to adapt the -device for a particular door size. Moreover, the closure strip !4 can be scribed and cut to lit any irregularity of the iioor.

It will be understood, of course, that the invention is notl limited to the specific form illus-- trated, but is capable of various modincations and embodiments within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a device of the class described, means for forming at the bottom of a side-hinged door an inverted channel extending the width of the door, said channel having parallel vertical walls, a flexible rod disposed in said channel having one end affixed therein and having its other end projecting beyond said channel at the hinged edge of the door for engagement with the door frame, a support for the said other end of the rod including a flat, inclined bottom surface, said surface extending from a location adjacent the hinged edge of the door and being inclined downwardly therefrom toward the center of the rod, the upper inner edge at the top of said surface forming a line contact support for the sai-d other end of said rod, a fiat strip of rectangular crosssection disposed in said channel and movable longitudinally and vertically therein to close the space beneath the door tvhen the latter is closed, and means suspending said strip from said rod at a point offset from the center of the rod toward the unhinged edge of the door, whereby the end of the strip adjacent the hinged edge of the door is moved longitudinally and is initially lowered and the rest of the strip is subsequently lowered as the door is moved to closed position.

2. In a device of the class described, means for forming at the bottom of a side-hinged door an inverted channel extending the width of the door, said channel having parallel vertical walls, a flexible rod disposed in said channel having one end alxed therein and having its other end projecting beyond said channel at the hinged edge of the door for engagement with the door frame, a support for the said other end of the rod including a iiat inclined bottom surface, said surface extending from a location adjacent the hinged edge of the door and being inclined downwardly therefrom toward the center of the rod, a flat strip of rectangular cross-section disposed in said channel and beneath said inclined surface of said support and movable longitudinally and vertically within said channel to close the space beneath the door when the latter is closed, the upper inner edge at the tcp of said inclined surface of said support forming a line contact support for the said other end of said rod, and the lower outer edge at the bottom of said inclined 6. surface of said support constituting a stop for engagement by the upper edge of said strip to limit upward movement of said strip within said channel, and means suspending said strip from said rod at a point offset from the center of the rod toward the unhinged edge of the door, whereby the end of the strip adjacent the hinge-d edge of the door is moved longitudinally and is initially lowered and the rest of the strip is subsequently lowered as the door is moved to closed position.

3. A device for closing the space beneath a side-hinged door when the latter is closed, comprising means for forming at the lower portion of the door an inverted open-ended channel of substantial width, sai-d channel extending the width of the door, a exible rod substantially entirely disposed in said channel having one end affixed vtherein and having its other end slidably supported and projecting from the end of said channel at the hinged side of said door, the projecting end of said rod being engageable by the door frame to bow the rod downwardly when the door is closed, said rod being supported only at its ends so that it is freely disposed in said channel for iiexing movement, a closure strip disposed in said channel and being of substantially smaller thickness than the width of said channel so as to be freely movable therein, and means suspending said strip from said rod at a point offset from the center of the rod so as to effect initial lowering of the end of the strip at` the hinged side of the door, said closure strip in its normal raised position being offset longitudinally with respect to said channel and projecting slightly therefrom at the hinged side of the door, and being moved longitudinally from its offset position into alignment with said channel during the lowering movement.

4. A device for closing the space beneath a sidehinged door when the latter is closed, comprising a member adapted to be attached to the lower portion of the door and extending crosswise of the door when attached thereto, said member having a securing portion extending longitudinally of the member and constituting the upper part thereof, and also having a relatively thin depending portion which forms with the lower part of the door an inverted open-ended channel of substantial width, a flexible rod substantially entirely disposed in said channel having one end aiiixed therein and having its other end slidably supported and projecting from the end of said channel at the hinged side of said door, the projecting end of said rod being engageable by the door frame to bow the rod downwardly when the door is closed, said rod being supported only at its ends so that it is freely disposed in said channel for flexing movement, a closure strip disposed in said channel and being of substantially smaller thickness than the width of said channel so as to be freely movable therein, and means suspending said strip from sai-d rod at a point offset from the center of the rod so as to effect initial lowering of the end of the strip at the hinged side of the door, said closure strip in its normal raised position being offset longitudinally with respect to said channel and projecting slightly therefrom at the hinged side of the door, and being moved longitudinally from its offset posi- Ition into alignment with said channel during the lowering movement.

5. A device for closing the space beneath a side-hinged door when the latter is closed, comprising a wooden strip of substantial overal] 7 thickness adapted to be attached to the lower yportion of the door` and extending crosswise of the door when attached thereto, said strip being out away so as to form with the lower part of the door an inverted open-ended channel of substantial width, a flexible metal rod substantially entirely disposed in said channel having one end aiiixed therein and having its other end slidably supported and projecting from the end of said channel at the hinged side of said door, the projecting end of said rod being engageable by the door frame to bow the rod downwardly when the door is closed, said rod being supported only at its ends so that it is freely disposed in said channel for flexing movement, a wooden closure strip disposed in said channel and being of substantially smaller thickness than the width of said channel so as to be freely movable therein, and means suspending said closure strip from said rod at a point offset from the center of the rod so as to effect initial lowering of the end of the closure strip at the hinged side of the door, said closure strip in its normal raised position being offset longitudinally with respect to said channel and projecting slightly therefrom at the hinged side of the door, and being moved longitudinally from its oiset position into alignment with said channel during the lowering movement.

6. In a device of the class described, means for forming at the bottom of a side-hinged door an inverted channel extending the width of the door, a flexible rod disposed in said channel having one end ailixed therein and having its other end projecting beyond said channel at the hinged edge of the door for engagement with the door frame, a support for the said other end of the rod including a flat inclined bottom surface, said ysurface extending from a location adjacent the hinged edge of the door and being inclined downwardly therefrom toward the center of the rod, a closure strip disposed in said channel and movable therein to close the space beneath the door when the latter is closed, the edge at the top of said inclined surface of said support forming a line contact support for the said other end of said rod, and means suspending said strip from said rod so that the latter effects downward movement of the strip when the door is moved to closed position.

WILHELM A. BECK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record ln the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 640,472 Knight Jan. 2, 1900 1,976,970 Spanjers et al Oct. 16, 1934 1,646,559 Ray et al Oct. 25, 1927 2,066,188 Reese Dec. 29, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 74,626 Sweden June 28, 1932 497,184 England Dec. 14, 1938 503,733 England Apr. 13, 1939 

